In light of the recent WHO update on the Novel Coronavirus [30 Nov 2012], and given the paucity of evidence on which to base treatment and understand disease pathogenesis, ISARIC -- a recently formed global clinical research consortium -- would like to propose a collaborative clinical research platform.

The proposed studies aim to assess prospectively the pathogenesis of illness and potential therapeutic interventions for patients infected with the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Standardized collection of data will facilitate sharing of information among those caring for such patients. The proposals from ISARIC would be open and available to any organization interested in participating.

Though the total number of laboratory confirmed cases to date is low, it is impossible to know how many cases may occur. In addition the patients may be admitted in future to multiple hospitals in many different countries. It is crucial to plan for standardized, prospective data collection in order to understand how to improve the clinical outcome for patients with nCoV.

The following suggestions also cover specific therapeutic interventions, which we believe need to be evaluated. These interventions do not include studies on supportive care such as access to critical care, fluid management and organ support as established guidelines, including those of WHO, are available for these.

ISARIC proposed studies

Observational studies should be conducted in the situation of a novel disease, which may occur in a variety of resource settings, and may be the only pragmatic option for data collection available. Clinicians should include data collection on all therapeutic interventions delivered.

Prospective, sequential, standardized clinical data collection and daily sampling for virological and pathogenesis studies should be undertaken, whenever feasible, and with strict adherence to appropriate infection control measures. Where possible we recommend that these clinical samples should be stored, with consent, for future research.

The month-long mop-up round for Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine, which was slated to start from December 1 in JE-affected districts of the state, has been refused permission by the Government of India on technical grounds.

While the state government, claims that the campaign has been postponed, central government officials claim that after two rounds of special immunisation drive against the disease, there is no need of another “campaign”, but rather for strengthening the routine immunisation (RI) which already includes JE vaccination.

The state government had demanded 30 lakh [3 million] vaccine dosage for a third round of JE vaccination mop-up campaign in the four affected divisions of eastern Uttar Pradesh including Gorakhpur, Basti, Azamgarh and Devipatan. As per a press release issued by the state government last month, Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani, in his review meeting on November 16, had instructed the officials that there should not be “any laxity in the campaign”.

Gearing up for the campaign, health officials of the state had already prepared the list of children between 16 and 24 months, as well as those up to 15 years, who were to be covered in the immunisation campaign. The mop-up round was to be held from December 1 to 31.

Dr Rama Singh, Director General, Health (UP), however, claimed: “The campaign has been postponed and will begin very soon.”

On the other hand, experts in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, maintain that the state does not need a campaign at all.

The number of deaths caused by dengue in Karachi reached four in the current year after provincial health officials said on Saturday another 11-year-old boy died on Wednesday last due to complications arising out of the potentially deadly disease.

Khadim Hussain, a resident of the Patel Para area, was admitted to the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on November 22, with a high-grade fever, and died on December 4.

On the same day, another 11-year-old child Samander Khan died at the AKUH due to the mosquito-borne disease, said officials. Two women, including a 20-year-old woman Farzana and a 78-year-old woman Najam-un-Nisa, had died of the virus early this year, officials said.

Five more patients tested positive on Saturday while 10 were confirmed on Friday.

MANILA, Philippines – The official death toll from typhoon "Pablo" (international name Bopha) now stands at 540, with 1,088 others injured and 827 still missing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday morning.

The NDRRMC also that the damage to agriculture is now at P3,605,778,737, while the damage to infrastructure stands at P2,510,263,310.

The Department of Agriculture added that more than 26,000 hectares of crops in 18 provinces were affected. This figure does not cover the damage to banana plantations and coconut trees, which are still being assessed.

The NDRRMC also reported that a total of 46,428 houses in Regions IV-B, VI, VII, X, XI and CARAGA were damaged.

MUMBAI: The four-year-old dengue patient, Tasneem Jafri, who lost her father to the same disease a few days ago, continues to be critical and has been put on ventilator support, said civic-run Nair Hospital officials on Saturday.

While her father, Tariq (32), succumbed to complications last Wednesday, her mother, Shakila, who too is affected by dengue, is stable. Tariq became the fourth dengue victim in the city this year.

"The mother is better, but we will observe her for a few days before saying she is out of danger," said hospital dean M K Sanjana.

"The daughter is, however, critical as her liver has failed," he added. Hospital sources said the next couple of days are crucial for the girl.

The Mato Grosso State Secretariat of Health has reported dengue statistics for the period from January 1 to December 6, 2012. The case number for this period is 41,771. Of this total, 138 were reported as severe dengue. To date there have been 25 deaths, 20 confirmed and 5 under investigation.

Cuiabá, the state capital, has reported 10,557 dengue cases, 55 as severe. Várzea Grande had had 3,018 cases, 22 severe. In Sinop the number is 5,955 cases, 11 severe, and Rondonópolis has reported 1,428 cases, 3 severe.

The report goes on to compare this year with 2011, when the state had 10,209 cases.

The Philippine government urged Saturday the people in the evacuation centers in typhoon ravaged- areas to keep their temporary shelters clean to prevent the spread of diseases.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in an interview over a state-run radio station, said that the Department of Health (DOH) is also doing everything to ensure the health of 212,000 individuals who have been staying in 291 evacuation centers after they were displaced by Typhoon Bopha (local name Pablo).

"The Department of Health is doing what it can in the evacuation areas to make sure that disease doesn't spread. But we also need the cooperation of the evacuees themselves to keep their areas clean," she said.

The cramped condition in evacuations centers could easily cause the outbreak of diseases, particularly involving young children, Valte said, assuring the people that the DOH is working to address the health concerns of the evacuees.

As to the water supply, teams from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) arrived in disaster areas with the water filtration systems, she added.

President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday declared a state of national calamity after typhoon Pablo devastated provinces in southern Philippines, destroyed various infrastructure and took hundreds of lives.

"[T]he declaration of a State of National Calamity will hasten the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government and the private sector, including any international humanitarian assistance," read Proclamation No. 522, signed December 7 by the President.

This means a speedy release of calamity funds may be expected to better aid Filipinos affected by the typhoon.

Moreover, the declaration is meant to "effectively control the prices of basic goods and commodities for the affected areas" so that retailers will not be able to take advantage of the victims needing to stock up on food.

NEW BATAAN, Philippines – Hungry and homeless typhoon survivors appealed for help Saturday as the ravaged southern Philippines mourned its more than 500 dead and desperate people in one hard-hit town looted shops in search of food.

Four days after Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) struck the major island of Mindanao, officials have struggled to bring in food and relief convoys through roads that had been blocked or swept away by floods and avalanches of rock, logs and mud.

About 4,000 residents in the destroyed farming village of Maparat had eaten the enclave's surviving chickens and were left with scavenging fallen coconut fruits, said nursing mother Virginia Dodres, 38.

"I tried to breast-feed Mica, but they're dry from lack of food. So I gave her coconut water, and now she's down with colic," mother-of-four Dodres told AFP as she comforted her crying one-year-old daughter.

All the houses had been carried off by floods and survivors were sleeping 80 to a room on the bare concrete floor of the local elementary school.

They share the toilet's two stalls and are doing their washing and bathing at a nearby spring, which is also their only source of water.

Dodres said church workers with two big pots of porridge arrived Saturday bearing the first relief aid to Maparat, located a few kilometers (miles) from the devastated town of New Bataan. The food was gobbled up within minutes.

The village of flattened coconut and banana plants is linked by a muddy footpath to the main highway, where residents hung a hand-painted arrow with a crude sign on canvas that read: "Evacuation Area. Please Help Victims."

Rescue officials said Mindanao's east coast accounted for all but 40 of the 546 known deaths from the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.

More than 500 other people are missing.

At least 211,000 people are taking refuge at crowded government-run shelters, according to the civil defense office in Manila.